GWM Tank 500 to attack Toyota Prado with four- and six-cylinder hybrid power
Chinese brand’s local division confirms no powertrains are off the table for its big new Tank 500 off-road SUVGWM-Haval Australia has confirmed the upcoming 2024 GWM Tank 500 range could become available here with multiple electrified petrol powertrains, including 2.0-litre hybrid, 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid and a bullocking 500Nm 3.0-litre V6 mild-hybrid.
Speaking to carsales this week, GWM-Haval Australia marketing and communications boss Steve Maciver confirmed that all of the Tank 500’s global powertrains were under active evaluation for local release.
“We’re looking at different powertrains, pricing and specifications,” he said. “We’re weighing everything up and all powertrains are under study.
“Nothing has been ruled out… but the evaluation vehicles in Australia indicate how seriously we are looking at it.”
The evaluation vehicles in question are a pair of Chinese-spec Tank 500s, one of which is fitted with the bombastic 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid system that outputs a combined 300kW/750Nm – more power and torque than both the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and V8-powered Nissan Patrol.
It isn’t clear whether the other vehicle is fitted with the 180kW/380Nm 2.0-litre hybrid or the 260kW/500Nm 3.0-litre V6 mild-hybrid V6, but odds are both drivetrains will also be put through their paces Down Under.
The three-pronged line-up would position the Tank 500 well against the next-generation Toyota Prado, which is widely expected to be offered with the choice of a turbo-diesel engine and a turbo-petrol hybrid system.
The Tank PHEV should wade into battle with a healthy power and torque advantage over even a V6 diesel-powered Prado, but the V6 petrol variant’s 2500kg maximum braked towing capacity will almost certainly be down an entire tonne on the Toyota’s likely 3500kg figure. Towing capacities for the 2.0-litre Tank 500s haven’t been revealed yet.
While the Tank 500 firms as a two-in-one Prado and LandCruiser fighter – leaving the smaller and cheaper Tank 300 to engage the Toyota Fortuner – it seems there’s no immediate plans for GWM-Haval Australia to offer the Kluger-esque Haval H5.
When asked directly about the more road-focused large SUV, Maciver said the Chinese brand was “covered in that large SUV segment” by the aforementioned Tank models.
“As with any new product, we’ll look at it [the H5], but it’s not really on our radar at this stage,” he said.
“We’ve got the Tank 300, which going well already with first customer deliveries occurring in the last couple of weeks, and we now have two Tank 500 vehicles in Australia for local testing.”
A local introduction for the Tank 500 has long been a case of if, not when, and its Australian release timing is expected to be announced by the end of this year – ahead of the new Toyota Prado’s local launch in the first half of next year.
Related: Toyota Prado-size GWM Tank 500 coming to Oz
Related: GWM Tank 300 and Tank 500 hybrid 4x4s revealed
Related: Tank 500: China’s answer to the Toyota LandCruiser
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